E7-8333. Cheyenne Plains Gas Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed Kirk Compressor Station Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues

April 25, 2007.

The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will discuss the environmental impacts of the Kirk Compressor Station Project (Project), involving construction and operation of a compressor station and appurtenances by Cheyenne Plains Gas Pipeline Company (CPG).

This notice announces the opening of the scoping process we will use to gather input from the public and interested agencies on the project. Your input will help the Commission staff determine which issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that the scoping period will close on May 25, 2007.

This notice is being sent to affected landowners within half mile of the proposed compressor station; Federal, State, and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and public interest groups; Native American tribes; other interested parties in this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. We encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of this planned project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.

Project Description

CPG proposes to construct a new natural gas-fired compressor station referred to as the Kirk Compressor Station which would consist of a single 10,310 horsepower gas fired compressor unit and appurtenances near Kirk in Yuma County, Colorado. The proposed Project would permit the firm transportation of an additional 70,000 dekatherms per day of natural gas to a delivery point near Greensburg, Kansas. The general location of the project is shown on the map attached as Appendix 1.^[1]

The Kirk Compressor Station would be constructed on a 40 acre tract of land which is owned by CPG. Approximately 3.69 acres would be permanently disturbed for placement of the compressor station and access road. The current land use is fallow agricultural land. The closest residence is located more than one mile away from the proposed compressor station site (approximately 5,500 feet north northwest of the site).

The EA Process

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us to discover and address concerns the public may have about proposals. This process is referred to as “scoping”. The main goal of the scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this Notice of Intent, the Commission staff requests public comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments received will be considered during the preparation of the EA.

The Commission's staff will prepare an EA that will describe the potential environmental impacts that could result from construction and operation of the proposed project under the general headings:

• Water resources, wetlands, and waterbodies
• Vegetation and wildlife
• Threatened and endangered species
• Cultural resources
• Geology and soils
• Land use and residences
• Air quality and noise
• Reliability and safety

Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the proposed project or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.

Depending on the comments received during the scoping process, the EA may be published and mailed to federal, state, and local government agencies; public interest groups; Native American tribes; interested individuals; affected landowners, newspapers, libraries, and the Commission's official service list for this proceeding. A 30-day comment period will be allotted for review if the EA is published. We will consider all comments submitted in any Commission Order that is issued for the project.

To ensure your comments are considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the public participation section below.

Public Participation

You can make a difference by providing us with your specific comments or concerns about the project. By becoming a commenter, your concerns will be addressed in the EA and considered by the Commission. The more specific your comments, the more useful they will be. Generally, comments are submitted regarding the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives and measures to avoid or lessen environmental impact.

This notice and request for environmental comments is being sent to affected landowners; federal, state and local government representatives and agencies; environmental and public interest groups; other interested parties in this proceeding; and local libraries and newspapers. We encourage government representatives to notify their constituents of this notice and to encourage their comments concerning this proposed project.

To ensure that your comments are properly recorded, please mail them to our office on or before May 25, 2007. When filing comments please:

• Send an original and two copies of your letter to: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 888 First St., NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.
• Label one copy of the comments for the attention of Gas Branch 2; DG2E; and Reference Docket No. CP07-128-000 on the original and both copies.

Please note that the Commission strongly encourages the electronic filing (“eFiling”) of comments, interventions or protests to this proceeding. Instructions on how to “eFile” comments can be found on the Commission's Web site at http://www.ferc.gov under the “Documents and Filings” link.

We may mail the EA for comment. If you are interested in receiving it, please return the Information Request (Appendix 2). If you do not return the Information Request, you will be taken off the mailing list.

Becoming an Intervenor

In addition to involvement in the EA scoping process, you may want to become an official party to the proceeding known as an “intervenor”. Intervenors play a more formal role in the process. Among other things, intervenors have the right to receive copies of case-related Commission documents and filings by other intervenors. Likewise, each intervenor must send one electronic copy (using the Commission's e-Filing system) or 14 paper copies of its filings to the Secretary of the Commission and must end a copy of its filings to all other parties on the Commission's service list for this proceeding. If you want to become an intervenor you must file a motion to intervene according to Rule 214 of the Commission's Rules of Practice and Procedure (18 CFR 385.214). Only intervenors have the right to seek rehearing of the Commission's decision.

Affected landowners and parties with environmental concerns may be granted intervenor status upon showing good cause by stating that they have a clear and direct interest in this proceeding which would not be adequately represented by any other parties. You do not need intervenor status to have your environmental comments considered.

Environmental Mailing List

An effort is being made to send this notice to all individuals, organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially affected by the proposed project. This includes all landowners who are potential right-of-way grantors, whose property may be used temporarily for project purposes, or who own homes within distances defined in the Commission's regulations of certain aboveground facilities.

Additional Information

Additional information about the project is available from the Commission's Office of External Affairs, at 1-866-208-FERC or on the FERC Internet Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on the eLibrary link, click on “General Search” and enter the docket number excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field. Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at [e-mail] or toll free at 1-866-208-3676, or for TTY, contact [phone]. The eLibrary link also provides access to the texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, notices, and rulemakings.

In addition, the Commission now offers a free service called eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with notification of these filings, document summaries and direct links to the documents. Go to http://www.ferc.gov/​esubscribenow.htm.

Finally, public meetings or site visits will be posted on the Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/​EventCalendar/​EventsList.aspx along with other related information.

Kimberly D. Bose,

Secretary.

Footnotes

1.  The appendix referenced in this notice is not being printed in the Federal Register. Copies of the appendix (map) are available from the Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20426, call [phone]. Copies of the appendix will be sent to all those receiving this notice in the mail.